Talk About An Uncomfortable Situation
by EnglishNobleman
Summary: The war is over, gaps are crossed, and inter-house unity can begin. Except for Hermione and Draco. One uncomfortable moment; and Draco will do anything to make sure Hermione keeps her mouth shut about it... ANYTHING.
1. Chapter 1

**Last Night**

The crowd was loud, the music was blaring. It was the beginning of their seventh year, their last year, the war had ended, the battle was done, Voldemort was gone, Slytherins and the other houses got along. Everything seemed perfect. The moon was out, the Lake was still. There was barely a breeze amongst the many camp fires that were set up along the Black Lake's edge. Seventh years from every house sat amongst each other, school robes forgotten back up in the dormitories. Pansy sat next to Ginny, talking about the Quidditch try outs coming up. Ron and Harry sat with Blaise Zabini and Marcus Dawlish, talking to them about their own Quidditch conversation.

Draco had just gotten up from Pansy's side, heading back to the Slytherin common room to get his Potions book. He really needed to pay attention in Slughorn's class, and he was tired of Pansy looking at him and going 'Right Draco?' every five seconds. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before he exited the common room and headed up the stairs from the dungeons to the library, which at first glance, seemed completely empty. Draco wandered along the aisle's, scanning the titles of the nearest potions books. He grabbed two of them, stuffed them under his arm, and started around the corner to the small area where the study tables were set up.

Draco stopped dead when his eyes landed on the back of a bushy haired Gryffindor, who was bend over what appeared to be already homework. Draco glanced around the library, noting that it was indeed empty besides the furiously writing Gryffindor, who hadn't seemed to notice him enter. Draco bit his lip and slowly started towards the table, his heart racing. He couldn't very well just sit down.. could he? She, with the help of Potter and Weasley, had saved him more than once during the war, but whose to say that changes anything?

Draco stopped by the table and cleared his throat, causing Granger to throw up her head, her eyes widening when they landed on him. "Uh... Taken?" asked stupidly, pointing towards the seat a crossed from her with his hand that was full of books. She bit her lip, hesitating, glancing around the library as though someone would save her though there was no one there. She sighed and waved a dismissive hand at the sea before going back to work. Whether that meant she consented or not, Draco sat himself down, opened his book, and set to work.

For the next hour, all he could hear was the sound of quills scratching on parchment. Finally Draco set his quill down and flexed his fingers, rubbing them slightly. His eyes traveled towards the brown haired girl sitting a crossed from him. He used to shudder at the thought of being left alone with her, but now it didn't seem so bad. He figured it was because she wasn't hexing him or punching him in the nose. He took a breath to speak, but before he could Granger spoke up.

"Why aren't you down at the party?" Draco scowled. Way to steal the words from my mouth! He glanced around the deserted library and when he looked back at Granger, she was looking up at him, her quill frozen for the time being, positioned over her paper. Draco shrugged.

"Too loud, I needed to work." Granger said nothing and went back to her paper. Draco knew the cold shoulder when he got it, Pansy had given it to him enough times. More silence stretched on, but Draco couldn't pick up his quill again, it just seemed like too much effort to even try. He combed a hand through his hair and glanced around the area before he looked back at Granger and finally asked, "Why aren't you down at the party?"

Granger scowled down at her paper and muttered quietly, "That's none of your business." Draco's anger spiked. "You made me tell you, now you tell me." He countered, pushing his chair back on its two legs. Granger scowled deeper and glanced up from her paper.

"I didn't feel like, happy?" Draco stared at her as she went back to work, scribbling even more furiously, before he let his chair fall down onto all fours and said, "Bull-" Granger looked up, her eyes wide. She looked half amused, and half repulsed by his choice of words. She slowly set her quill down and asked, "What did you just say?"

Draco smirked. "You heard me... I said bull-." Granger glared and said, "And what makes you think I'm lying." Draco thought about this for a moment and then shrugged. This seemed to infuriate Granger even further, causing Draco to smirk. "Well, you should get the facts down before you start assuming things Malfoy." Draco's smirk was gone. "You and your little friends should have done that too." And awkward silence filled the library and Granger paused in her work again. She bit her lip and slowly looked up before she said, "I'm sorry."

Draco snorted and said, "Yea, well, you guys just-... Wait..." He eyebrows pulled together. "What did you just say?" Granger rolled her brown eyes and set her quill down, rubbing her own hand. "You heard me.. I said sorry."

Draco only stared at her, watching her closely in the dim lighting of the library. He could hear the music blaring from the lake, but it was muffled by the large windows. He nodded slowly and said, "Yea... Well... Me too." Granger watched him closely before she said, looking back at her paper, "You should be going back to the party." Draco scowled, glancing at his own paper and realizing he had long since finished it. He picked it up and stuffed it away before he reached for Granger's and yanked hers away as well.

"Hey!" She yelled, her quill falling from her hand as she reached for it. "Give that back, Malfoy! Don't be a child!" Draco smirked. "I LIKE being a child." He said, stuffing her potion's essay, which was considerably longer than his, out of sight. Granger glared; if looks could kill. "YOU should be going back to the party." Draco mimicked, getting up and throwing his bag over his shoulder. Granger leaped to her feet, her chair falling backwards. "Give it back, Malfoy!" She snapped at him, reaching for his bag. He swung it away from her, glaring. "No." He said furiously, though he thought he did sound somewhat like a child.

Granger felt around in her pocket and scowled deeper. She didn't have a wand. Draco thought with a smirk. Hell, neither did he, but she didn't know that. "You can have this back tomorrow Granger." Draco said, walking away.

He didn't even see it coming. One moment he was walking, the next he was tumbling to the ground, his bag flying from his grip and landing with a thud somewhere else. Something heavy landed on him and he groaned, turning quickly around on his back to fight off whatever Granger had sent at him. Except, he couldn't very well fight Granger, she was a girl! She sat up and glared down at him, her hair hanging down almost in his face, before she said, "Nice try Malfoy."

She reached over his head somewhere out of his line of sight, no doubt trying to grab his bag. With his Seeker reflexes, he quickly pushed her off and rolled over on top of her, kicking his bag out of reach and smirking down at her. "Nice try Granger."

Granger glowered up at him, trying to push him off, but males were bigger then girls. "Get off me Malfoy!" Draco smirked, finding this highly amusing. "No thanks, Granger." The war had done nothing to make him any more mature. "Malfoy!" Granger yelled in anger, trying without any success to throw him off. He sat there, smirking down at her, amusement flickering in his gray eyes.

Finally she lay still, panting slightly and glaring up at him. Before Draco could think of why he had done it, what had made him do it, and why he had the slightest clue as to why it would be a good idea, he leaned down and his lips caught hers.

**The Present**

Draco felt like vomiting. His stomach hurt and his head spun all morning as he dressed with the other Slytherin boys and headed down to breakfast. The worst part was when Pansy grabbed his hand in the Great Hall and asked where he had disappeared to during the party. He barely got out that he had gone to the library before he felt like gagging. He couldn't believe he had done what he had. He had kissed Granger! After he had called her a mudblood, after he had watched her get tortured at his house, after everything, and he had kissed her!

Of course, he had run away right after, and it was only this morning that he found her essay still stuffed away inside his bag. He felt dread all over him. Any minute now she was going to come and get it back, any minute now she could easily tell his friends, his GIRLFRIEND, that he had kissed her. But why would she? Right?

Draco swallowed the hard lump in his throat before the bell rang, signaling Potions. He wished Potions would never come. He took as long as he dared to get his bag up and walk towards the dungeons, Pansy clutching his hand and Blaise on his right as they walked. They entered the Potion's room, almost the very first ones. Draco heart was hammering wildly in his chest as the three Slytherin's approached the walls and Draco set his book bag down, sitting beside Blaise, Pansy on his other side, who immediately started talking to the Ravenclaw girl that was there before them. Draco groaned and put his head down. He had a headache and his stomach felt as if he was going to upchuck at any moment.


	2. Chapter 2

It was odd, really, to see Hogwarts the way it was today, compared to what it had been for the past 50 or so years. Slytherins sat at the Gryffindor table, Gryffindors sat at the Ravenclaw table, Ravenclaws sat at the Hufflepuff table, and Hufflepuffs sat at the Slytherin table. When you entered the castle, it wasn't just yellow/red/blue, and then green on its own, it was a whole mesh of different colors. The surviving of the second wizarding world seemed to have revived everyone inner child, for when you're a child, you don't care about blood and which house you're in, you care about playing and laughing and making new friends. Had everyone at Hogwarts suddenly become five years old again?

The change in the atmosphere astounded everyone. Sure, when everyone glanced up at the front of the Great Hall and didn't see Professor Dumbledore, it damped the mood a little, but it seemed as if everyone was slowly moving on.

Everyone but Draco and Hermione.

Draco sighed as he combed a hand through his blond white hair, slowly sitting up as the bell in the clock tower chimed loudly, signaling the beginning of class. His stomach still felt sick, his head still hurt, and his brain still rushed about, and it only intensified when Granger came walked through the doorway into Potions with Harry, Ron, and Ginny by her side.

The reason Ginny was in their classes was simply. Where as all the seventh years had decided to retake their seventh year, Ginny had already finished her sixth, and had therefore caught up to them all, as embarrassing as it was to say this.

Draco's first instinct was to sneer, but he quickly realized that he didn't honestly know what to do. He focused on pulling up his backpack into his lap and rummaging through it, but it only made things worse when Draco saw Granger's essay stuffed just out of sight. Draco glanced up at Blaise, who nodded towards Harry and Ron, who nodded back. Draco offered a tilt of the chin, but he did his best to avert his gaze from Granger, who seemed to be ignoring him in a similar manner.

Though Harry and Ron nodded towards him, Draco still felt suspicious. Had Granger told them yet? Were they acting nice so they could find an opportunity to tell Blaise and Marcus and Pansy and then the rest of the school. Draco felt his stomach tighten with intense pain as he glanced towards Pansy. She would be furious if she found out, more than furious, she would be livid, ready to kill him… Draco did not want to die after surviving the war, and at the hands of Pansy no less.

Professor Slughorn, oblivious to Draco's discomfort, started class as usual, introducing a few new potions that he had laid out on the table. Draco pulled a piece of parchment and quill from his bag before he tried to take some notes. His hand fumbled and he practically failed at writing, so he instead tried to simply sit there and listen to Professor Slughorn as he lectured. This turned out to be more boring than watching grass grow. And before Draco knew it, his eyes were wandering about the room, boredom taking its toll on him.

Ginny was sitting with Millicent Bulstrode, exchanging notes out of the same boredom that Draco felt. Harry and Ron were sitting with Marcus Flint, muttering in hushed terms, probably about Quidditch. Draco's eyes landed on Granger, probably the only human being in this room that was actually paying attention to what Professor Slughorn was saying. She sat near Ginny and Millicent, but at a different table, as though determined not to get sucked up into their conversation or to yell at them for not paying attention. Draco watched as Granger lifted her head from her note taking and glanced at Professor Slughorn before she turned her head to look at him.

It was only then that Draco realized that everyone in class was staring at him.

He quickly pulled his gaze away from Granger and looked at Professor Slughorn. "What?" he asked. A few kids chuckled, obviously enjoying watching someone get humiliated right in front of them. Ah, school, isn't it just lovely?

Professor Slughorn was a good natured guy though, who rarely ever yelled at anyone. Instead, he simply chuckled and shook his head before he said, "I do wish you'd pay attention Mr. Malfoy, you might learn something that way." Draco scowled, though he couldn't help the light blush that traveled into his pale cheeks as he nodded his head towards Professor Slughorn. Most everyone had turned back to look at Professor Slughorn, but when Draco glanced at Granger out of his peripheral vision, he watched as her brown eyes darted away from him and went back to her work.

He sighed shakily and combed a hand through his hair, almost jumping when Blaise leaned over to him and whispered, "You ok today?" Draco scowled and looked over at him.

"Do I not seem ok?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow. Blaise scowled back at him, but said nothing as he turned back to the front of the class, idly writing down a word every now and then that he deemed important to know later. Draco turned his gaze back to the front of the classroom, determined to at least seem like he was paying attention.

35 minutes went by too slowly. By the end of class, two students had fallen asleep. They were only woken when Professor Slughorn started coming around for the homework, telling them about their next essay. Draco pulled his bag up onto the table and opened it before he reached in and grabbed his almost finished essay. He glanced over his shoulder at Granger, who had stopped writing, and was idly staring down at the paper in front of her. Granger had never NOT handed in an assignment before.

Draco bit his lip and turned his head away, glancing down at the bag that he had moved to his lap. Professor Slughorn stopped in front of Granger and smiled down at her. Draco was slapped in the face with guilt when Granger didn't lift her head, but whispered quietly, as though ashamed, "I didn't get it done." The room was quiet minus the absent bubbling of a potion simmering off in the corner of the room. Professor Slughorn looked as though he were waiting for Granger to say that she was joking, but Granger never lifted her head to look up at him.

Professor Slughorn cleared his throat and said, "Yes, well…" he seemed uncertain as to what to say, for Granger always handed in her essays and assignments. Professor Slughorn left her sitting there, and her friends were staring at her, though Ron looked the most shocked out of all of them.

Professor Slughorn came around to where Draco, Blaise, and Pansy were sitting. Pansy pulled out her essay and handed it up to Professor Slughorn in a bored manner. When Professor Slughorn turned to Blaise, Blaise only shrugged and said, "I forgot." Draco knew better. Blaise had lost a bet with Pansy and now had to write every essay for her for the next month. In his haste to finish Pansy's he probably forgot his own. Professor Slughorn shook his head and looked at Draco expectantly. Draco hesitantly reached up his hand and handed over his essay.

"It's not completely done…" Draco muttered, shifting in his seat. Professor Slughorn smiled gently and said, "Yes, well, I suppose we all are having it a bit rough eh?" Draco scowled gently. He didn't even know the half of it.

"Now, for tonight, I want you all to research-" Draco stopped listening, glancing over his shoulder again. Granger was not looking at him, instead she was staring at the counter top with mild interest. She wasn't even listening to Professor Slughorn drone on about their next assignment. Draco groaned to himself before he reached a hand inside his bag and pulled out Granger's essay.

"Professor," Draco said, interrupting Professor Slughorn's lecture. Professor Slughorn scowled gently before he turned to look towards Draco, as did everyone else in the room. That was two times today, today was going to be a bad day.

"Uh,… I found this student's essay in the hallway," Draco watched out of his peripheral vision as Granger's head lifted slightly to look at him. He forced himself not to look back at her before he said, "I didn't want them to lose points…" Interested, Professor Slughorn came waddling over and took the essay from Draco's slim hand, glancing it over. A smile cracked the older mans face as he turned to look at Granger.

"Why, Miss. Granger, this is YOUR essay." Granger lifted her head fully now, watching Professor Slughorn closely. Her face showed shock and mild confusion. "I would thank Mr. Malfoy for stumbling a crossed it." Professor Slughorn chuckled before he looked at Draco and nodded his head. Draco didn't look at him as the older male walked away back to the front of the class to continue teaching. Pansy was watching Slughorn intently but Draco was not stupid, he knew that she kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye every now and then. Blaise was simply openly staring at him. Draco felt uncomfortable under their gazes, but he forced himself to look collected. He was a Malfoy after all.

The clock in the clock tower rang out loudly after five more minutes of torture. Everyone hurriedly grabbed their things, intent on getting out of the stuffy dungeons and away from their overly happy teacher so that they could go into another class where they'd be bored out of their minds all over again. Despite Draco's determination to get out of here as quick as possible, he stayed where he was, taking excruciatingly long to pack up his bag which he had barely emptied during class. Pansy, being the loving girlfriend that she was, waited for him, and he could have screamed at her. Instead, he stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, his mind racing. Luckily, Professor Slughorn saved him. "Draco m'boy, would you mind staying for a moment?" Draco, relieved, kissed Pansy's cheek quickly before turning and hurrying towards Professor Slughorn's desk. The next moment he glance over his shoulder, Blaise and Pansy were disappearing out the door. Draco sighed in relief and turned back to look at Slughorn, who was putting something away.

The short, meaty man turned and smiled before he said, "I wanted to thank you for picking up Miss. Granger's essay this morning... Are you alright boy?" Draco was startled by this question. He thought hard about it. Professor Slughorn knew everything that had happened to Draco during the war, hell everyone did. Was he referring to that? Draco shrugged. "Bit tired." Was his final answer. Professor Slughorn nodded, as though he were wise, and said, resuming his packing, "You are a very talented, skillful individual Mr. Malfoy." Draco couldn't help but feel the slightest bit happy. No one had ever praised him so much in one day before.

Professor Slughorn looked at him and smirked, a mischevious twinkle in his eyes, "I'm afraid to say your will to succeed is quite large however, maybe too large." Draco found himself smirking back in the slightest. Professor Slughorn quickly shook his head and said, "I'd like you to come to one of my dinner parties, are you game?" Game. He was trying to be hip. Draco thought for a moment and then shrugged a shoulder. It was his last year, why not turn over a new leaf? He'd already befriended Ginny Weasley and kissed Hermione Granger, what else could he do wrong?

"Of course sir." Draco answered with a nod of his head. Professor Slughorn smiled and said, "Excellent!" before he resumed his packing, his back to Draco. Draco took this moment to slowly slink out of the room, unnoticed by Professor Slughorn. Now he wished he had waited to be dismissed, for as soon as he walked out, his eyes landed on Granger, who was standing there as though waiting for someone. Him, perhaps.

He didn't know what to do, besides stand there and stare at her. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were gone, probably forced to continue to their class while their friend stayed behind. Draco rocked back onto his heels for a moment before he quickly sidestepped Granger and started down the hall, hoping that she had just been waiting for Professor Slughorn. This, however, was not the case, which Draco figured he should have known better.

"Don't pretend you don't notice me, Malfoy." Draco glanced down at his feet and slowly pulled to a stop. Why would he bother hiding his face from Granger. She had kissed him back! Didn't she? Or maybe he was just making it up in his mind that she kissed him back so he didn't feel so awkward about it. Either way, Draco took a breath and forced his chin upward, before he turned on his heels to look at Granger, who had pulled to a stop behind him, crossing her arms over her chest. He figured it was pretty stupid of him just to walk by and not expect her to explode on him. But why was she mad at him? He had turned in her essay for her, hadn't he? She had gotten full credit didn't she? Draco scowled down at her as she glanced over his face.

Finally, she began to speak. "Last night-" Draco's stomach churned in on itself again. She had to bring that up? Honestly? Really? Seriously?

"Look," Draco said, a bit more forcefully than he probably should have. He held up his hands before she could start talking back, like he knew she would try to, because that's what Granger did. "I don't want to talk about that, it didn't happen." Granger scowled for a moment and the she suddenly looked angry.

"What the HELL do you mean 'it didn't happen'." Draco glared down at her, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"It. Didn't. Happen. Come on Granger, I thought you were supposed to be smart." Granger's anger's seemed to be reaching its maximum height. That's when Draco began to feel a bit worried. If he made her angry, she could very well go off and tell people that he had kissed her, and she could twist all the facts around to where everyone would think she had tried to push him away, she would 'forget' to mention that she had kissed him back. Draco felt pressured and anxious. He had already felt like this back in sixth year, he was NOT going to go through that again.

"Fine, look-" Draco said, not even realizing he had cut Granger off. "I'll make you a deal." Granger's eyebrows shot up and she couldn't hold the curiosity from soaking into her brown eyes. Her arms crossed over her chest and she tilted her chin up before she said, "And what would that be?"

Draco glowered at her tone before he said, "I will do ANYTHING as long as you keep your mouth shut about last night."

Granger looked mildly intrigued and she took her dear sweet time thinking this over. The bell in the clock tower rang and Granger winced before she said, gripping her should strap tighter, "Anything?" Draco immediately regretted his choice of words, but he couldn't back down now, for he would do anything for this to stay a secret. "Anything." Granger pursed her lips together and looked him over slowly before she said, "Meet me in the Heads dormitory during dinner."

And with that, she turned on her heels and stalked away, and Draco was left to glower after her.


End file.
